The Cardinal Virtues

Today's Reading

Read Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Then read Proverbs 2:6-8: "For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints."

Reflection

Lewis surveys the four cardinal virtues — virtues recognized not only by Christians but by the ancient Greeks, the Romans, and virtually every serious moral tradition.

Prudence is not timidity or excessive caution. It is practical wisdom — the ability to think clearly about what you are doing and foresee the consequences.

"Prudence means practical common sense, taking the trouble to think out what you are doing and what is likely to come of it."

Lewis laments that some Christians treat thoughtlessness as a virtue, as though being intellectually careless were somehow more spiritual. Christ commands us to be "wise as serpents" (Matthew 10:16). God wants His people to use their minds.

Temperance is not teetotalism. Lewis is emphatic about this. The word originally meant moderation in all things — the ability to enjoy pleasure without being enslaved by it.

"Temperance referred not specially to drink, but to all pleasures; and it meant not abstaining, but going the right length and no further."

Justice includes honesty, fair dealing, keeping promises, and giving people what they are owed. It is the most obviously social of the four virtues.

Fortitude is courage — not just the physical bravery of the battlefield, but the moral courage to do the right thing when it is costly. Every virtue, Lewis notes, is tested at the point where it becomes difficult. Fortitude is what enables you to be just when justice is inconvenient, temperate when indulgence is easy, and prudent when impulse beckons.

Paul's list in Philippians 4:8 — true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, praiseworthy — is a portrait of the virtuous mind. Proverbs roots all such wisdom in God Himself: "the Lord gives wisdom."

Going Deeper

Lewis makes an important point: virtue is not about individual actions but about character. A person who does one just act is not yet a just person. Justice becomes a virtue only when it is habitual — when the person is the sort of person who does just things naturally, almost without thinking. This is why virtue requires practice, not just knowledge.

Which of the four cardinal virtues needs the most development in your life today?